Gladstone was one of England’s greatest political figures of the Victorian age, serving for sixty-two years as a member of Parliament and on the cabinet, three times chancellor of the exchequer and four times prime minister. Educated at Christ Church, Oxford, he had considered becoming a clergyman but was persuaded by his father, a member of Parliament, to go into politics.
He was a devout Christian, a student of the Bible and a man of prayer, and consistently attempted to act as a Christian in public life. Known as the ‘Great Commoner’, he was a leader of the liberal party, a champion of the rights of the common people, an advocate of justice and a foe of slavery. Not only was Gladstone an able politician, reformer and public leader, but he was also an accomplished classical scholar, a theologian and a skilful author. His works include The State in Its Relation with the Church, Church Principles, The Impregnable Rock of Holy Scripture, Studies on Homer and the Homeric Age and Gleanings from Past Years. Undergirding all of his work and thought was his firm faith in Christ.